Integrated circuitry comprising nonvolatile memory cells having platelike electrode and ion conductive material layer
An integrated circuit has a nonvolatile memory cell that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an ion conductive material there-between. At least one of the first and second electrodes has an electrochemically active surface received directly against the ion conductive material. The second electrode is elevationally outward of the first electrode. The first electrode extends laterally in a first direction and the ion conductive material extends in a second direction different from and intersecting the first direction. The first electrode is received directly against the ion conductive material only where the first and second directions intersect. Other embodiments, including method embodiments, are disclosed.
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Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to memory cells of integrated circuitry, and to methods of forming memory cells.
BACKGROUNDMemory is one type of integrated circuitry, and is used in computer systems for storing data. Such is usually fabricated in one or more arrays of individual memory cells. The memory cells might be volatile, semivolatile, or nonvolatile. Nonvolatile memory cells can store data for extended periods of time, in many instances including when the computer is turned off. Volatile memory dissipates and therefore requires to be refreshed/rewritten, in many instances multiple times per second. Regardless, the smallest unit in each array is termed as a memory cell and is configured to retain or store memory in at least two different selectable states. In a binary system, the states are considered as either a “0” or a “1”. In other systems, at least some individual memory cells may be configured to store more than two levels or states of information.
Integrated circuitry fabrication continues to strive to produce smaller and denser integrated circuits. Accordingly, the fewer components an individual circuit device has, the smaller the construction of the finished device can be. Likely the smallest and simplest memory cell will be comprised of two current conductive electrodes having a programmable material received there-between. The programmable material is selected or designed to be configured in a selected one of at least two different resistive states to enable storing of information by an individual memory cell. The reading of the cell comprises determination of which of the states the programmable material is in, and the writing of information to the cell comprises placing the programmable material in a predetermined resistive state. Some programmable materials retain a resistive state in the absence of refresh, and thus may be incorporated into nonvolatile memory cells.
One example memory device is a programmable metallization cell (PMC). Such may be alternatively referred to as conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM), nanobridge memory, or electrolyte memory. A PMC uses ion conductive material (for instance, a suitable chalcogenide or any of various suitable oxides) sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. A suitable voltage applied across the electrodes generates current conductive super-ionic clusters or filaments. Such result from ion transport through the ion conductive material which grows the clusters/filaments from one of the electrodes (the cathode), through the ion conductive material, and toward the other electrode (the anode). The clusters or filaments create current conductive paths between the electrodes. An opposite voltage applied across electrodes essentially reverses the process and thus removes the current conductive paths. A PMC thus comprises a high resistance state (corresponding to the state lacking a current conductive filament or clusters between the electrodes) and a low resistance state (corresponding to the state having a current conductive filament or clusters between the electrodes), with such states being reversibly interchangeable with one another.
Embodiments of the invention encompass integrated circuitry comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, and methods of forming a nonvolatile memory cell. Referring initially to
Components 16, 18, 20 and material 22 may be fabricated relative to or supported by a suitable base substrate (not shown), for example a semiconductor substrate which may comprise monocrystalline silicon and/or other semiconductive material. The term “semiconductor substrate” means any construction comprising semiconductive material, including, but not limited to, bulk semiconductive materials such as a semiconductive wafer (either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials), and semiconductive material layers (either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials). The term “substrate” refers to any supporting structure, including, but not limited to, the semiconductor substrates described above.
Electrodes 16 and 18 may comprise any suitable current conductive material, and may be homogenous or non-homogenous. In the context of this document, “current conductive material” is a composition where electric current flow would inherently occur therein predominantly by movement of subatomic positive and/or negative charges when such are generated as opposed to predominantly by movement of ions. At least one of first electrode 16 and second electrode 18 has an electrochemically active surface received directly against ion conductive material 20. In this document, a material or structure is “directly against” another when there is at least some physical touching contact of the stated materials or structures relative one another. In contrast, “over” encompasses “directly against” as well as constructions where intervening material(s) or structure(s) result in no physical touching contact of the stated materials or structures relative one another. By way of examples only, suitable current conductive and electrochemically active materials include copper, silver, and alloys including at least one of copper and silver. Example suitable current conductive and electrochemically inactive materials include titanium nitride, gold, tungsten, platinum, and alloys including at least one of gold, tungsten or platinum.
Ion conductive material 20 may be a solid, gel, or any other suitable phase, and may be homogenous or non-homogenous. Example suitable materials comprise chalcogenide-type (for instance, materials comprising one or more of germanium, selenium, antimony, tellurium, sulfur, copper, etc.; with example chalcogenide-type materials being Ge2Sb2Te5, GeS2, GeSe2, CuS2, and CuTe) and/or oxides such as zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, tungsten oxide, silicon oxide (specifically, silicon dioxide), gadolinium oxide, etc. Such may have silver ions or other suitable ions diffused therein for ionic conduction, analogously to structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,405,967 and U.S. Patent Publication Number 2010/0193758.
In one embodiment, second electrode 18 may be considered as having a lateral outermost sidewall 21 (
In one embodiment, first electrode 16 may extend laterally in a first direction 26 and ion conductive material 20 may extend laterally in a second direction 28 different from and intersecting first direction 26. Accordingly, such angle relative to one another, with reference to “angle” herein meaning any angle other than the straight angle. In one embodiment, first and second directions 26, 28 intersect at an angle from about 45° to 90°, and in one embodiment from 80° to 90°. Such are shown in
Regardless and referring to
First electrode 16 may be considered as having an elevationally outer surface 36 with, in one embodiment, at least a portion thereof being received directly against ion conductive material 20. Analogously, second electrode sidewall 21 may be considered as comprising a surface received directly against ion conductive material 20. At least a portion of at least one of sidewall 21 or surface 36 as received directly against ion conductive material 20 is electrochemically active. Accordingly, second electrode 18 and/or first electrode 16 has some electrochemically active surface received directly against ion conductive material 20.
In one embodiment, at least second electrode 18 comprises an electrochemically active surface. By way of example, second electrode 18 is shown as comprising a composite of current conductive material 40 and current conductive material 42, with material 42 in one embodiment also constituting an electrochemically active material having a surface 21 which is received directly against ion conductive material 20. Material 40 and material 42 may, respectively, be homogenous or non-homogenous. An example thickness range for current conductive and electrochemically active material 42 is from about 2 to 30 nanometers, while that for current conductive material 40 is from about 10 to 80 nanometers. Current conductive material 40 may or may not also be electrochemically active, and in one embodiment is electrochemically inactive, for example comprising elemental tungsten. In one embodiment, the current conductive material of first electrode 16 may be electrochemically inactive, again with elemental tungsten being one specific example.
Within array 12, material 42 and/or material 40 may extend/run continuously in individual of the column/row lines, or first electrode 16 may run continuously in individual of the column/row lines. Regardless, ion conductive material 20 may extend/run continuously in a line, may be continuous throughout the array, or may be patterned with defined edges for individual of the memory cells. As an example only,
In one embodiment where at least the second electrode comprises an electrochemically active material having a surface directly against ion conductive material, the ion conductive material has an elevationally outermost surface which is elevationally outward of an elevationally outermost surface of the electrochemically active material. For example in the embodiment of
In one embodiment, each of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the ion conductive material is platelike and oriented perpendicularly relative each other. In the context of this document, “platelike” defines a construction having length and width dimensions which are each at least 2.5 times greater than a maximum transverse thickness/depth of the construction orthogonal to the length and width.
Some or all of second electrodes 18 in an individual data/sense line 102 may extend continuously along such data/sense line. As an example alternate embodiment, the architecture may be reversed. For example, some or all of first electrodes 16 may extend continuously along an individual control line, and individual second electrodes 18 may be isolated constructions relative one another along a corresponding data/sense line. Further and regardless, the roles of data/sense and control lines may be reversed.
An alternate embodiment nonvolatile memory cell 14a is shown in
Embodiments of the invention encompass methods of forming a nonvolatile memory cell. Example such methods are described with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Regardless, a second current conductive electrode is provided directly against the ion conductive material, with at least one of the first current conductive electrode and the second current conductive electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material. The second electrode may have any of the attributes as described above. Further, the ion conductive material may be formed before or after forming the second current conductive electrode. The
An embodiment of the invention includes a method of forming a nonvolatile memory cell comprising forming first and second electrodes where at least one of such has an electrochemically active surface, and independent of any other attribute described above (although such are example attributes which may be used in this embodiment). For example, such formation of first and second electrodes in accordance with this embodiment is independent of elevational or other orientation of the electrodes relative to each other. Regardless, after forming the first and second electrodes, an ion conductive material is deposited directly against the electrochemically active surface. Heretofore, the prior art is not understood to anywhere deposit an ion conductive material directly against an electrochemically active surface of a first and/or second electrode after both such electrodes have been formed.
In one embodiment, a dielectric may be provided between the first and second electrodes, and have a lateral sidewall. The ion conductive material may also be deposited directly against the dielectric lateral sidewall. For example with respect to
In compliance with the statute, the subject matter disclosed herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the claims are not limited to the specific features shown and described, since the means herein disclosed comprise example embodiments. The claims are thus to be afforded full scope as literally worded, and to be appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
Claims
1. An integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, the nonvolatile memory cell comprising:
- a first electrode, a second electrode, and an ion conductive material between the first and second electrodes; the second electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material and an electrochemically inactive surface directly against the ion conductive material; the second electrode being elevationally outward of the first electrode;
- the first electrode extending laterally in a first direction, the ion conductive material extending laterally in a second direction different from and intersecting the first direction, the first electrode being directly against the ion conductive material only where the first and second directions intersect, the second electrode having a lateral outermost sidewall and the ion conductive material having a transverse outermost sidewall directly against the second electrode lateral outermost sidewall, the second electrode being directly against the ion conductive material only at the transverse outermost sidewall of the ion conductive material; and
- the first electrode being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the first electrode, the first platelike electrode having an elevationally outermost surface; the ion conductive material being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material, the platelike ion conductive material having an elevationally innermost surface that is directly against the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode; the first platelike electrode and the platelike ion conductive material intersecting at an angle relative one another.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the lateral outermost sidewall and the transverse outermost sidewall are vertically oriented.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first electrode and the ion conductive material has its thinnest transverse thickness where received directly against the other of the first electrode or ion conductive material which is less than F, where F is a minimum feature dimension of lithographically-defined features.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the first electrode and the ion conductive material has its thinnest transverse thickness where received directly against the other of the first electrode or ion conductive material which is less than F, where F is a minimum feature dimension of lithographically-defined features.
5. An integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, the nonvolatile memory cell comprising:
- a first electrode, a second electrode, and an ion conductive material between the first and second electrodes; the second electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material and an electrochemically inactive surface directly against the ion conductive material; the second electrode being elevationally outward of the first electrode;
- the first electrode extending laterally in a first direction, the ion conductive material extending laterally in a second direction different from and intersecting the first direction, the first electrode being directly against the ion conductive material only where the first and second directions intersect, the first and second directions intersecting at an angle from 45° to less than 90°; and
- the first electrode being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the first electrode, the first platelike electrode having an elevationally outermost surface; the ion conductive material being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material, the platelike ion conductive material having an elevationally innermost surface that is directly against the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the second electrode is platelike.
7. An integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, the nonvolatile memory cell comprising:
- a first electrode, a second electrode, and an ion conductive material between the first and second electrodes; the second electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material and an electrochemically inactive surface directly against the ion conductive material; the second electrode being elevationally outward of the first electrode;
- the first electrode extending laterally in a first direction, the ion conductive material extending laterally in a second direction different from and intersecting the first direction, the first electrode being directly against the ion conductive material only where the first and second directions intersect, each of the first electrode and the ion conductive material being platelike and intersecting at an angle other than 90°; and
- the first electrode being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the first electrode, the first platelike electrode having an elevationally outermost surface; the ion conductive material being platelike and having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material, the platelike ion conductive material having an elevationally innermost surface that is directly against the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said nonvolatile memory cells within a memory array.
9. An integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, the nonvolatile memory cell comprising:
- a first platelike electrode, a second platelike electrode, and a platelike ion conductive material between the first and second platelike electrodes; the second platelike electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the platelike ion conductive material and an electrochemically inactive surface directly against the ion conductive material; the second platelike electrode being elevationally outward of the first platelike electrode; and
- the first platelike electrode having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the first electrode, the first platelike electrode having an elevationally outermost surface; the platelike ion conductive material having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material, the platelike ion conductive material having an elevationally innermost surface that is directly against the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode; the first platelike electrode and the platelike ion conductive material intersecting at an angle relative one another.
10. An integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory cell, the nonvolatile memory cell comprising:
- a first platelike electrode, a second platelike electrode, and a platelike ion conductive material between the first and second platelike electrodes; the second platelike electrode having an electrochemically active surface directly against the platelike ion conductive material and an electrochemically inactive surface directly against the ion conductive material; the second platelike electrode being elevationally outward of the first platelike electrode;
- the platelike ion conductive material being oriented perpendicularly relative to the first platelike electrode, the second platelike electrode being oriented perpendicularly relative to the plate like ion conductive material, the second platelike electrode being oriented perpendicularly relative to the first platelike electrode;
- the first platelike electrode having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the first electrode, the first platelike electrode having an elevationally outermost surface; the platelike ion conductive material having an elevational thickness which is greater than thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material, the platelike ion conductive material having an elevationally innermost surface that is directly against the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode;
- the second platelike electrode comprising an electrochemically active material having an elevationally outermost surface that is not received against the platelike ion conductive material; and
- the ion conductive material having an elevationally outermost surface which is elevationally outward of the elevationally outermost surface of the electrochemically active material of the second platelike electrode.
11. The integrated circuit of claim 9 wherein each of the first platelike electrode and platelike ion conductive material is of a respective uniform transverse thickness.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 9 wherein each of the first platelike electrode and the platelike ion conductive material are of a respective uniform transverse thickness which is less than F, where F is a minimum feature dimension of lithographically-defined features.
13. The integrated circuit of claim 9 wherein the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode has a minimum cross dimension equal to the thinnest transverse thickness of the first platelike electrode.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 9 wherein the elevationally innermost surface of the ion conductive material has a minimum cross dimension equal to the thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 9 wherein,
- the elevationally outermost surface of the first platelike electrode has a minimum cross dimension equal to the thinnest transverse thickness of the first platelike electrode; and
- the elevationally innermost surface of the ion conductive material has a minimum cross dimension equal to the thinnest transverse thickness of the ion conductive material.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 21, 2010
Date of Patent: Jun 24, 2014
Patent Publication Number: 20120097913
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc. (Boise, ID)
Inventors: Jun Liu (Boise, ID), John K. Zahurak (Boise, ID)
Primary Examiner: William F Kraig
Assistant Examiner: Khaja Ahmad
Application Number: 12/909,650
International Classification: H01L 47/00 (20060101); H01L 21/20 (20060101);